March 14, 2011

Bunching onions continue to grow year after year

51No6zojjrL._AA160_.jpg

Bunching onions are sometimes called shallots. They have hollow stems and do not form a large bulb, but stay small, like green onions and grow in clusters. These onions are cold resistent and can be grown all year. I used to have several clumps growing along the fence line years ago and am inspired to try this again.

Bunching onions have a milder flavor than regular onions and are often used in Asian dishes. There are many different types, some Asian, some Italian. Plant them thickly where you won't be tilling, such as next door to a perennial planting. You might want to thin them a little when they come up, and then let them grow. Harvest some of them when the stems are as big as a pencil, but leave plenty alone. When you harvest you should gently pull older ones up allowing the young onions remain in the soil to grow. They will develop more shoots and continue to grow throughout the year.

At Ferry-Morse 3083 Organic Onion Seeds, Evergreen Bunching